Page 90 of Pitcher Perfect
A cool wind whipped through the trees, the clouds passing over the sun, leaving everything a shade darker momentarily. It was an odd event, almost like a rapid passing of time and she could see it, a glimpse of herself looking up into this man’s face for years to come, almost like she was watching it happen froma distance. And she had no idea how to respond. Couldn’t. Not with her heart in her mouth.
The light returned, along with sound and the movement of the branches above, his fingers still warm and anchoring in her hair. In response to his question, she wanted to sayI’ve been waiting for you. It would have been a lie, though, because she never could have known to wait for this specific man, the polar opposite of who she’d envisioned for herself.
“I thought of our act for the talent show,” she said finally.
His lips jumped. “I told you. We can’t do that.”
“Shut up.”My face literally hurts from smiling.“It occurs to me we both know the originalHigh School Musicalsoundtrack front to back. I mean,Ihaven’t listened in a while, so we’ll need some quick practice—”
“I practiced last night.”
“You what?”
“‘Start of Something New’?” He backed up and doubled over, as if his body couldn’t handle the coincidence. “I sang it at karaoke last night.”
“No. It’s a duet!”
“I sang it with Elton. A duet was the only way I could get some airtime with those two hams.”
“I played it so much growing up, Elton must have memorized the lyrics. Or downloaded it himself.” She covered her face with both hands. “That’s a lot to take in.”
He lunged at Skylar, lifting her up off the ground. “Admit you still listen to it.”
“What?No, I don’t. I don’t.”
“Liar. You lie so hard. Show me your list of most-listened-to songs.”
“You willneversee that. Ever—”
He wrestled the phone out of her pocket and ran, his laughbooming through the park when she sprinted after him and jumped on his back. “No password, Rocket? I could have been snooping while you slept this whole time?”
She gave up the useless task of trying to get the device away from him and deflated on his back, her chin coming to a hard rest on his shoulder, watching as he tapped his way into Spotify, blushing and hiding her face in his neck when he reached the list.
“No. No way, Skylar. No.”
“Afraid so.”
“‘Get’cha Head in the Game’? You let me show you that video of me singing in the shower and wallow alone in my embarrassment when it’s...” He barked a laugh. “Numberthreeon your most played?”
“I was going to tell you when the time was right, when my Kit Harington diary entry wasn’t still stinging.” She jerked a shoulder. “It’s a good hype song.”
“The best.”
“Hmm. Maybe notthebest—”
“I’m talking about you.Youare the best.” Robbie dropped to his knees with her still on his back, swinging her around at the same time, so he could catch her and set her down gently in the grass, even as his sides shook with mirth. “You’re going to kill me being so goddamn cute.”
Skylar pushed at his shoulders. “I’m not cute. I’m intimidating. I can dribble and sing at the same time, as well as any Wildcat.”
He lost it, falling face-first into the grass beside her.
Every time she thought they were done laughing, they started again and there were definitely grass stains on the white dress, but she didn’t care. She didn’t have a single care in the world as she giggled like a preteen in the grass of her hometown park, her second-most-embarrassing secret exposed to the man she wassleeping with, her feelings sprouting legs and running amok in a way she could no longer control.
Finally, Robbie handed back her phone and stood, helping Skylar to her knees, tugging her forward until she fell into his arms, where he rocked her in the shade. He pressed his mouth to her ear and started to say something, but a group of kids went careening past them carrying baseball gloves, a couple of them with bats slung over their shoulder, yelling at the top of their lungs.
“We bat first!”
“You batted first yesterday.”
